Insomnia Causes

Many people have suffered from insomnia or sleeplessness at least once in their lives. Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder that includes having trouble falling or staying asleep. With insomnia, you usually awaken feeling still tired or restless, which for sure influences your ability to function during the day. Of course, it is not a life threatening disorder, but it can increase the risk of accidents, psychiatric problems, and certain medical conditions, affect school and work performance, and significantly interfere with quality of life.

There are two types of insomnia: primary insomnia and secondary insomnia. Primary insomnia means that sleep problems are not directly associated with any other health condition or problem. Secondary insomnia means that inability to sleep is related to other health conditions that interfere with sleep such as asthma, depression, arthritis, cancer, or heart disease, hypertension, emphysema, pain, gastro esophageal reflux disease GERD, rheumatologic conditions, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, hyperthyroidism, epilepsy, allergies, fibromyalgia. Insomnia is often viewed as a side effect of certain medical conditions, medicines, sleep disorders, and substances. Among such medications are antidepressants fluoxetine, bupropion , theophylline, lamotrigine, felbamate, beta-blockers, and beta-agonists. Withdrawal of alcohol, drugs or mentioned above stimulant medications may lead to the sleep disorder too. Insomnia is more typical in women than men. Hormonal fluctuations that occur during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause put women at higher risk of developing the disorder.

Insomnia can be a short-term, called acute insomnia, or chronic ongoing, but it always involves problems with falling or staying asleep. Insomnia is classified as chronic when it lasts at least for three nights a week for more than three months.

Short-term transient insomnia is most commonly triggered by stress situations in life, for example exams, loss of a loved one, unemployment, divorce), travelling, or environmental factors, for example, uncomfortable room temperature, excessive or unpleasant noise. Long-term chronic insomnia results from psychological or physical conditions, but in some cases it is not clear if it is a symptom of other health problems or it is a primary disorder of its own.

Most adults experience insomnia, but few of them find it is necessary to apply for a medical advice. In fact, just simple changes in daily habits can resolve insomnia and restore needed rest. The first step for controlling insomnia might be sleep hygiene or behavioral therapy. It helps people of all ages. However, before treating the disorder, it is important to indentify the cause of it and work on both problems at the same time.